Syracuse Basketball: 4-star target Marcus Adams Jr. soars in new rankings

Marcus Adams Jr., a four-star small forward from the west coast who just put Syracuse basketball in his final three, has made a massive move in national rankings for the 2024 class.

The 247Sports recruiting service, just in the past few days, updated its national ratings for the junior cycle. The 6-foot-8 Adams had one of the largest increases across the country in these new rankings from 247Sports.

Adams, whose final three includes the Orange, 2022 national champion Kansas and his hometown college squad, UCLA, went from No. 61 overall to No. 29, according to 247Sports.

If he were to continue climbing in the 2024 national rankings, Adams ultimately could make a run at five-star status in the junior recruiting cycle.

Syracuse basketball four-star recruit Marcus Adams Jr. is a hot prospect.

In the new 2024 ratings from 247Sports, Adams is four stars, No. 29 nationally, No. 11 at small forward and No. 4 in California.

At the time of this writing, the industry-generated On3 Industry Ranking had him as four stars, No. 82 overall, No. 21 at small forward and No. 6 in California.

When I penned this column, the industry-generated 247Sports Composite rated Adams as three stars, No. 157 nationwide, No. 38 at small forward and No. 13 in California.

I would anticipate his national rankings from the 247Sports Composite and others to rise even further in the coming months.

Adams is a standout at Narbonne High School in the Harbor City area of Los Angeles, where he has averaged nearly 30 points per contest during the 2022-23 season.

On the AAU circuit, he runs with the Los Angeles-based Elev8 Elite, an Adidas-sponsored program.

Adams’ present national rankings are for the 2024 class, although media reports have said he may have the option available to be a member of the 2023 cycle as well.

The Orange coaching staff offered him in late December. He took an official visit to the Hill in late January. More recently, Adams went on an official visit to Kansas and was slated to officially visit UCLA from March 3 to March 5.

"In examining a handful of 2024 players who made huge leaps in the new 247Sports rankings, 247Sports national basketball director Eric Bossi wrote in part, “Out on the West Coast, nobody in the class of 2024 made a bigger impression for a move up the rankings than Marcus Adams Jr. did. A 6-foot-8 wing with the ability to play inside or out, he’s got plus athleticism, deep range on his jumper and some real swagger to the way he plays the game.”"